<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Teach Like Me by psalloacappella</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25036279">Teach Like Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/psalloacappella/pseuds/psalloacappella'>psalloacappella</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Bicycles, Dorks, F/M, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Minor Canonical Character(s), Minor Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Romantic Friendship, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:00:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,120</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25036279</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/psalloacappella/pseuds/psalloacappella</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Naruto,” she says through gritted teeth, “get your dumb ass on this bike.” </p><p>Grimacing, he lobs a response that might just get him killed. “Ew, like with you?”</p><p>❦</p><p> </p><p>In which Ino spends an afternoon teaching Naruto new tricks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uzumaki Naruto/Yamanaka Ino</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>91</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Teach Like Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Not in my usual vein of genres, but I have wanted to write this for NaruIno for such a long time. I don't even know if I'm good at the cute. It's not quite friendship and not quite love, but there was an attempt. Mentions of other canon characters and their implied relationships. No idea if it's canon, but Naruto can't ride a bike. So says I. These kids drink underage, because they kill people, so they get to drink.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ino likes to think that Naruto, as other young boys her age, pops into her family’s flower shop when she’s off duty to pay her some mind, grace her with a little attention. Not least because they’re friends, but because she’s still a girl, and a cute one at that. He may have soft and stupid eyes for her best friend, but damn it, she’s still going to preen; being run ragged by missions can sometimes make her feel exhausted and charmless, and it’s not always in line with the portrait she’s interested in painting of her lovely self.</p><p>When she asks herself why it matters at all, she concludes it’s simply torrid boredom and according to Sakura (and Shikamaru, who agrees without agreeing in that languid and noncommittal way he does) a dash of narcissism. </p><p>But every time the village’s hyperactive, thickheaded, Sasuke-chasing, obnoxious ninja shows up to bother her, the result is always that she realizes and has to process as new, as though she’s never had to consider it before, that he’s a complete dunce.</p><p>The flowers in the shop whisper to one quietly; amid the bursts of vivid color, whites and reds and periwinkles, colorful themed bouquets reminiscent of abstractions of sunsets and midnight trysts and tentative apologies and condolences, Ino lets her chin fall into her palm. Leans on her elbow and groans at the long day stretched out before her with no sign of interesting respite. <em> Someone </em>in this village needs to bring the drama, drop some dribbles of gossip that they can gnaw on over her counter, for she’s bored and bone-tired and all of her friends are busy or deployed. </p><p>Stands in front of her blinking as a confused fish, waiting for her to surface from the reverie. </p><p>Realizing he’s there, <em> and close! </em> she jerks back and makes a noise of disgust that only serves to prompt a sassy scrunched face in riposte. With his chin in both hands and elbows on the slippery counter, rear wiggling in the air, he sticks out his tongue. “And I thought you were bored? Your face is no better.”</p><p>Ino blinks, a double-take. “Bold words for a guy who cowers from a girl with pink hair.”</p><p>“Honestly, you scare me too,” he admits. “But I want her to like me, so that’s the difference.”</p><p>“Why are you here? What do you need?”</p><p>Naruto blinks, nonplussed. “What would I need?”</p><p>Straightening, Ino indicates the botanical menagerie as she opens her arms loftily, an embrace of her surroundings. The eye roll seems to spark an understanding. Shakes his head vigorously. </p><p>“Oh, right! Nah, I came to see you. I don’t need flowers, I—”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>A patron pokes his head around the doorframe, grinning. “Sweet bike. Whose is it?”</p><p>“Bike?” Ino’s eyebrows knit together while Naruto, having whirled around at the mention of it, grimaces and makes a quiet noise under his breath. Wilting like a dehydrated flower himself. Noticing his behavior, Ino glances at him askance and then clarifies. “As in a bicycle?”</p><p>“Yeah.” The stranger hangs on to the door frame as he leans back, sets his eyes on what must be the bicycle, as if to confirm it hasn’t disappeared in the last few seconds, and resumes his previous position. “Looks brand new.” </p><p>Naruto sweats profusely, and Ino has the urge to dress him down for being weird in front of a potential customer, but rolls her eyes and remembers some words from Shikamaru about fiery tempers and laying off Naruto a little — his usual dulcet whining. She shrugs, folding her arms. “Doesn’t belong to me, sorry.”</p><p>Frowns; but then the villager’s eyes sparkle at the possibilities. “Huh. Maybe someone left it here by mistake. Might go turn it in — but, not without taking it for a spin.” A lopsided grin graces his young face, and he tilts his head toward her, leaning over the threshold. “What do you say, it’s not busy here, pretty miss? Come and take a ride with m—”</p><p>Naruto makes an angry sound, some amalgamation of a grunt, snort, and unintelligible syllables that sounds more like the short-circuiting of machinery than anything human. Jarring enough that the other two jump in response, staring. Eyes closed tightly and arms folded, he has the look of someone out in the bright sun, blinded — or perhaps one who needs a solid dose of fiber.</p><p>“Why don’t you try that again,” Ino says, rolling her eyes. “Human speech this time.”</p><p>Kicking at the floor with the toe of his boot, Naruto says through gritted teeth, “It’s. Mine.” Bright red heat blazes high in his face. </p><p>Laughing, Ino leans over the counter and gives him a solid punch in the arm. “Dork. Why didn’t you just say that earlier?” Waving her hand as if fanning away small gnats or wafting dust, she blows at a strand of long blonde hair, lilting like feathers in her vision, and grins. “Sorry about him — he forgets how to interact properly.”</p><p>Eyes pinging between the two of them, the patron shrugs in response and lifts a hand in a wordless goodbye and means of departure. </p><p>Ino keeps up the princess wave for a few more seconds after he departs, then visibly shifts into an annoyed stance. “What is <em> with </em> you? It’s nice of you to care about strangers hitting on me, but,” and she tosses her hair again in that lovingly preening, vain way she manages to make endearing, “you’re busy after a girl who’s into men that are, decidedly, not your type.” Clicking her tongue, she comes out from behind the counter and without pretense, shoves her face in his face. “So where’d you get the bicycle?”</p><p>“It’s new, like that guy said! Heh, heh.” But the way Naruto rubs the back of his neck and can’t quite look her in the eyes means he’s almost certainly in the middle of one of his pranks. </p><p>Narrowing her eyes in response, her lips draw a thin line. “Naruto—”</p><p>“Okay, so I borrowed it!”</p><p>Eyes wide, she punches him again. Hard. Not taking his breath away like a certain teammate of his, but close enough; he’s always all types of sore between training, reckless endeavors related to training, and also perhaps putting himself in harm’s way for the sake of securing even a sliver of that same teammate’s time. The familiarity of it, regardless, paints a blush in his cheeks and feels oddly comforting. At least he knows where he stands.'</p><p>“You can’t just borrow things like that; they’ll know it’s missing!”</p><p>“Just — let me explain the whole story, Ino. One of the old ladies that I used to do genin missions for, saving her dumb cats all the time — they always ran away from her, and honestly, I would too if I lived with her — she squeezed them half to death, even that bastard would say so—”</p><p>Bringing an arm across her eyes, she groans. His perplexing digressions are either a sign of brain damage or tender excitement or both, but always classically Naruto, including the inability to stop thinking about a guy who’s been gone for at least two years and last tried to murder him in a valley. Not that she can judge — he’s still their friend, but it’s hard to process the depression over the gaping hole in their team. “Stay on topic!”</p><p>“Anyway,” he emphasizes, raising his palms up in a shrug, “her leg’s broken from tripping over the cats and her nephew or someone got her a bike, and something something she can’t use it, I planned to borrow it—”</p><p>“You <em> did </em> borrow it, it’s outside—”</p><p>“And realized I can’t . . .” </p><p>Naruto’s voice fades into unintelligible syllables for the second time. With hands on her hips and chin lowered as she gives him a pointed look, she shakes her head as if she can capture and funnel the rest of it into her ears. “Well? Can’t what? Speak up!”</p><p>Folding his arms tightly in the way of a straightjacket, still red, he says through gritted teeth: “I don’t know how.”</p><p>Exasperated and baffled, her laughter cascades without warning as she shakes her head again. Hilarity abounds, though an undercurrent of guilt ripples through her stomach as she again reflects on her own teammates’ suggestions to work on the nice-to-Naruto thing; it strikes her that he grew up without anyone to teach him how to ride. </p><p>
  <em> Well. Now I feel like a jerk.  </em>
</p><p>Naruto’s flush hasn’t abated, and she feels the sudden urge to remedy his sad look; it’s too difficult to exist in the same space with, and goodness knows he’s already been handling a lot of less than stellar incidents in his life. Avoiding his eyes and looking askance, she reaches behind her back and begins to untie her apron.  “Hang this up for me.” </p><p>She tosses it at him — it wafts in the air for a second, then drapes itself over his frizzy blonde hair. Yanking it off, his bright ocean eyes are wide and confused. “What?”</p><p>“You can’t <em> not </em> know how to ride a bicycle. How will you ever go on a date with a girl that way? Nope, that’s unacceptable.” Clicks her tongue again, <em> tsk tsk. </em>“Luckily for you, I happen to know how and am fantastic at that, so.” </p><p>With confidence she walks out the front door of the shop, and he follows. As she locks the door behind her and flips the sign to closed, Naruto smiles to himself, a small and shy thing that disappears almost as quickly; a warm and soft knot nestles somewhere into his chest. Then he frowns in genuine concern.</p><p>“Wait, Ino. How are you going to teach me in that?”</p><p>Pocketing her keys, she tilts her head. “What does that mean?”</p><p>Pointing at her purple skirt, he continues. “You can’t ride in that outfit.” </p><p>Sputtering, she straight-arm smacks him in the sternum with an open palm. Over his pouting <em> ow, Ino! </em> she raises her chin with a regal air and says, “Just you watch. And don’t talk to your instructor that way.”</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Little did she know it would never be as easy as anticipated, because Naruto wasn’t exactly known for his analysis or even picking a skill up on the first try. Or the second. Or even the hundredth. </p><p>“I’m doing it, I’m really doing it!” His exclamation is endearingly excited for someone shaking uncontrollably in the vein of a startled rabbit, desperate for balance. Ino keeps one finger on the handlebar and sighs.</p><p>“You’re trying almost too hard,” she says. “This isn’t something you need chakra for or even, really, brains.”</p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“I’m only saying,” she presses, “it’s muscle memory and balance. Nothing to do with being a great ninja or hero or whatever you’re trying to do with your life.”</p><p>“Shikamaru’s right — you’re pretty sarcastic.”</p><p>“I am both pretty and sarcastic, and I also don’t listen to him.” Removing her finger from the handlebar, Naruto’s vibrating becomes more pronounced. Tipping, he yelps and plants his feet in the dust to keep himself upright. </p><p>Ino’s brows furrows deeply, a divot appearing in the middle of her forehead. She muses about face wrinkles and the stress from trying to teach the unteachable. After a few moments, exhales with a relenting sigh and elbows him off the bicycle, seating herself on it instead. As if by magic, she starts pedaling in wide circles and dust pings away from the front tire, reminiscent of fish leaping out of the way of an oncoming boat. Naruto watches, frowning.</p><p>“You make it look so easy. And there’s no chakra?”</p><p>“Not a bit,” she says with a smile. Continues steering the bike in lazy circles, even letting a hand off the handlebar to give him a little regal wave. Braking, she comes to a stop and lowers herself into a straddle, folding her arms across the front. “I’m going to hate myself for this, but come on, you need to get on the bicycle. Let’s go.”</p><p>Neither of them move, Naruto watching her expectantly in anticipation of more instructions. After an awkward beat, she motions impatiently for him to come closer. </p><p>“Naruto,” she says through gritted teeth, “get your dumb ass on this bike.” </p><p>Grimacing, he lobs a response that might just get him killed. “Ew, like with you?”</p><p>Ino wishes she was on a mission in which she could release her rage on invading some enemy minds; it may spare her from her inevitable sentence in the local prison when she leaves Naruto’s entrails smeared on the Hokage mountain and in front of the hospital. Sakura wouldn’t even get a piece of him to throttle by that point.</p><p>Her face steaming, chest heaving, and ocean eyes wide, Naruto’s even less inclined to join Ino on the bicycle, but makes his first intelligent choice of the day. “Fine! But I want to be in front; I can’t be seen holding onto a girl.”</p><p>Ah, well, almost.</p><p>“You really sound like Shikamaru. Unreal. That tough guy ship sailed a long time ago.” Still, she scoots back on the seat and obliges, Naruto grumbling as he clambers back onto the bike, wobbling like a newborn fawn with brand new legs. For a moment, she’s unsure of where to put her hands; capitulates to her inner revulsion and places them stiffly on his shoulders. </p><p>Though it’s not as bad as she expects; the world doesn’t end and she doesn’t fall in love with the so-called hero <em> and he’s absolutely not my type </em> and he manages to get the bicycle moving, albeit wavering and managing to clip the nearest tree trunk with a yelp and a curse. </p><p>Time for bossing and instructing, her favorite. “Gather some speed, it will make this easier. And don’t be so stiff — be one with the bike, or something.”</p><p>Fairly sure some of those grumbling, childish curses are directed at her, but she prefers to keep her eyes on the road as they head toward a larger street that pipes through the heart of the village, where there are market stalls and children running through adult’s legs without a care and many more obstacles that could easily impede his progress. </p><p>Eyes alighting on someone familiar, she squints. Neji Hyuuga. Of course she’s about to pass the incredibly handsome tortured genius, though of course, he's been distinctly more lucid after he’s had some sense beaten into him by Naruto those few years ago. Of course she’s about to pass him clinging to the resident village dork as she teaches him to do something that almost everyone else knows how to do. Her fucking luck.</p><p>Of course Naruto manages to hit an uneven spot in the dirt and jerk the bicycle around as the handlebar slips a bit out of his control, and she lunges forward against his back to straighten it to preserve the beauty and sanctity of her marriageable face —  after all she only has one of them. </p><p>As far as her dignity, however, that feels long gone with her other arm wrapped around Naruto’s torso and the Hyuuga tilting his head and staring at them in bemusement. </p><p>The wave she attempts as she passes him feels like some last-ditch effort at controlling a narrative that will surely be on the tongues of everyone before sun sets; not because of him, but due to his annoyingly and increasingly familiar bond with Tenten, who will definitely tell everyone, especially all of the other girls. Which means Sakura will know. Ino makes a mental note to get to her first or it will be the single most embarrassing thing in her life thus far. </p><p>As they fly past, Naruto shouting out a greeting to Neji that’s lost in the sound of the prissy chime of the bicycle’s bell, Ino’s face is the color of a daring evening-only-shade of lipstick, and the heat, she hopes, melts the stupid ugly orange outfit to tatters.</p><p>“Hey, I’m doing better! It’s easier when you go faster, you were totally right, Ino.”</p><p>Hiding her face in the comfortable span of his shoulders, <em> I mean, at least he gained some muscle while he was away 3 years,</em> her flat “Yay” comes out muffled.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Ino reflects that she’ll never do favors for Naruto again, even if he is improving as the day goes on, because she’s managed to pass every attractive man she’s ever wanted to look her way, and even those she doesn’t know but <em> could</em>, conceivably, and here she is clinging to back of a stolen bicycle with the most obnoxious person in the village. These are going to be the gossipy stories of legend. </p><p>Still, he’s not as slow of a learner as she expects, partly because he persists at things with the tenacity and thickheadedness of a bull. And obviously, because she’s a fantastic instructor.</p><p>“Try not to hit bumps in the road — remember, we have to return this.”</p><p>“I got it!”</p><p>“Also please don’t hit another cat—”</p><p>“Look, I didn’t even see the cat coming, it was a total accident and I said sorry—”</p><p>“Yes, I’m sure it heard you while it was screeching.”</p><p>He grumbles in response.</p><p>“Eyes on the road! Remember — one with the bike. And if we fall and you smash up this face, yours will look worse when I’m through with you.”</p><p>“How come,” Naruto pants, exerting effort up the hill, “every one of my teachers is so demanding? Kaka-sensei, Pervy Sage, you—”</p><p>“It’s the role of a teacher,” she says at his shoulder. Chin resting on it, she’s inches away from his face. With her arm tightly gripping his stomach (depressing and empty - they skipped lunch for the cause) and parts of her pressing against his back <em> do not go there do not go there</em>, he feels vindicated in his bicycle pilfering and also ready to whisk some young lady away on the handlebars. Once he has the other one off it, although it’s not nearly as gross and uncomfortable as he previously assumed. </p><p>And once he’s conquered the tallest hill in the village, obviously.</p><p>Fuzzy from the heat and the edges of her vision shimmering, Ino lets her eyes fall closed. This isn’t the worst. </p><p>Too bad he’s absolutely sopping and sweating from the effort of pedaling. Something perks her up, piques her brain. </p><p>“Naruto,” she asks, “where are we going?”</p><p>Her question is answered as he triumphantly crests the hill and they both stare down at the long and winding road that leads through quite dense and lively parts of their village. A serpentine road stretching straight from the peak and disappearing amidst colorful rooftops and tented awnings and possibly the lanterns and streamers of a small festival. </p><p>Naruto cheers and lifts his hands from the bars and feet from the ground. Immediately they start tipping to the side until he plants his feet again, regaining control.</p><p>“No. No, no no.” Ino smacks him again with an open palm in the sternum, hissing, “What did I say about my face?”</p><p>“Then you can get off, but this is the biggest hill in the village and the last thing I have to conquer.”</p><p>“Conquer? This isn’t a mission, you’re being such a — such a boy right now!”</p><p>“Unless you’re scared?”</p><p>When did Naruto get the guts to tease back? Heat unfurls in the high points of her cheeks, eyes narrowing angrily. Puffing up like an angry animal, she has the urge to scream in his ear. The nerve! She’s been trying to get him a date, she’s doing this for him, not making a competition. </p><p>“I taught <em> you. </em>If you do this badly, I’ll lose face. And if we die, I’ll have Sakura bring you back to life like a river fish and kill you again.”</p><p>Tightening her arms around his torso, eliciting an uncomfortable shifting from him, she whispers, “So you’d better pass the test.”</p><p>If he was older, a little wiser, a tad more fluent in the language of women, he might have indulged a moment to feel how close she is to him, the murmur in his ear that sends chills tapdancing along his spine and a strange fluttering in his gut. Heat dashes across the back of his neck, bright red, and she interprets his reactions as fear; most certainly they are in part, though the strange sensations in him, low, <em> so low</em>, and the giddiness at the prospect of reckless bravado — all of it seems like an easy choice.</p><p>“Hang on!”</p><p>Suspended at the top for a moment, they both feel the flipping of their inner organs as they balance at the hill’s precipice. When Naruto kicks off and Ino clings on tightly, they scream much earlier into the descent than either had personally planned.</p><p>Those screams warn others as they gather speed.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Chouji and Asuma step out of a cafe, blinking in the sinking evening sunlight.</p><p>“To tell you the truth, I haven’t seen them all day,” he says, speaking over his shoulder to his sensei. “Shikamaru’s acting as ambassador, remember, so he’s been with that Temari of the sand girl a lot lately.”</p><p>Chuckling, Asuma grins around the cigarette he’s popped into his mouth. “How sweet.”</p><p>“You’re one to talk,” Chouji responds. Grins with a snarky expression, laden with implications.</p><p>A loud sound approaches, high in pitch and growing in intensity. </p><p>Continuing, oblivious of the sound, Chouji continues. “You and Kurenai-sensei, and I mean.”</p><p>“All right, all right,” Asuma says, intent on shutting the line of discussion down. </p><p>The sound hits an ear-shattering apex and then just as quickly disappears. The only notion that something had passed was the ruffling of their clothes and hair.</p><p>“What was that?” </p><p>They shrug at one another, though the jounin has an instinct, a guess. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>In a bustling street, stall and streamer-laden, Shikamaru and Temari wander among them and maintain a professional, appropriate distance between them. Inquiries of the nature of their time together has been a hot topic lately, a spark in the bored, droning discussions of village operations. Even men and women of responsibility seek gossip.</p><p>Temari’s ears perk at the sound of an approaching wail — or a scream, an intermingling of them, searing through the calm evening and also managing to produce an effect similar to instruments. Alternating beats, cacophonous. </p><p>“I hope that’s not an attack,” Shikamaru drawls. “I’m off-duty.”</p><p>Temari gives him a stern look.</p><p>“I’m entirely serious.”</p><p>“I always err on the side of lazy with you.”</p><p>As it intensifies and comes closer, Temari steps in front of Shikamaru and places her body between him and the street. He sighs. Other heads start to turn, people standing on tiptoe to gaze up at the hill that winds down into the low streets of the village. </p><p>“I can’t let you do that. So embarrassing.”</p><p>A flash of blue and blonde, orange and purple, and the sound of a crate of fruit upending. Syncopated dull sounds as watermelons hit the ground and the tear of shorn streamers — </p><p>Shikamaru looks after the commotion, the hurricane that just ran through — </p><p>at a long and wild parachute of shiny blonde hair.</p><p>In its wake, no one seems to know exactly what it was. Shikamaru lets out another dismal sigh, longer this time.</p><p>Temari blinks. “Wasn’t that your teammate? And—”</p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>“. . . Well? Aren’t you wondering?”</p><p>Nudging a watermelon out of the way with his foot, he clears her path so they can continue down the street.</p><p>“I’m sure I’ll hear about it later.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>They lie flat on their backs on the ground of an open training area, in the dust. Breathing hard as if they’ve been running for miles, unable to speak. Every time they try, there’s nothing left except fierce outbursts of giggles and the insurmountable actions of trying and failing to stand. </p><p>Finally Naruto succeeds:  “I did it!”</p><p>Wiggling in the dirt like an insect, he punches a fist in the air above him with a cheer. Ino attempts to run fingers through her hair and winces at the knots, tangled like the makeshift nests of birds. It’s not coming out without help.</p><p>“Congratulations. Now help me up.”</p><p>Naruto bounds to his feet on a second energetic wind and holds out a hand to bring her to her feet. He eyes her hair warily, keeping distance between them.</p><p>“Yeesh.”</p><p>“Be quiet.”</p><p>“Well, um,” he starts, clearing his throat. Rubbing the back of his neck and keeping his eyes from hers, he settles on the ground, at his shoes. “Thanks a lot. For all your help. You spent the whole day with me.”</p><p>Still with her fingers in her hair, she raises and lowers her shoulders. “It was nothing.”</p><p>“It was, though. It was fun! And you can teach, kind of.”</p><p>Despite herself, she smiles with white, bright teeth and reflects that he’s not quite such an idiot after all.</p><p>“Now you know what you need to do, right?”</p><p>“Right!” Naruto runs to the bicycle, previously left on the ground on its side, and prepares to mount it. Slaps the seat. “See if a girl will want to take a ride.”</p><p>Ino lowers her chin, an impatient <em> tuh! </em>falling from her lips. “You have to take it back to the owner. You want Sakura to find out?”</p><p>Shivering, Naruto reconsiders his quest for love and wilts. “You’re right. Kaka-sensei probably wouldn’t like it either. And if Sakura-chan finds out, she’ll turn <em>me</em> into a bike.”</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“So . . . I feel like I should return the favor. You know, for teaching me.”</p><p>“That’s nice of you. Maybe you’re not that hopeless with girls.”</p><p>“Ramen?”</p><p>“I take that back.”</p><p>Shrugging, he says, “I don’t know what to say most of the time.”</p><p>Grinning, she pats him with a gentle hand on the cheek. “I have just the thing for you, Naruto.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Ino vaguely recognizes the man from a couple days ago, when he proposed to take her on a bicycle ride. It’s possible he does in kind, smirking as he crosses the threshold. </p><p>“Hello again, pretty miss.”</p><p>“Hello again, and welcome.” </p><p>Glancing to the back of the shop, he observes the blonde in the back watering flowers, but doesn’t say a word. Said person is extraordinarily quiet in comparison to last time, concentrating on his tasks.</p><p>“So,” she says briskly, “what are you hoping to find today?”</p><p>“Well, there’s this girl. I had to take my brother to the hospital and his nurse was, oof, let me tell ya.” Conspiratorially, he leans on the counter as if expecting Ino to be impressed, or ignorant. Refraining from rolling her eyes, she smiles to herself at the joy this is likely about to bring. She has an inkling.</p><p>“Biggest, beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen. Of course,” he adds, winking, “not as striking as yours.”</p><p>“Sure,” Ino responds. She has a way with the tones of scathing disinterest. The sound of plants being watered stops.</p><p>“And pink hair, super exotic looking, you know. I was chatting her up while she was working on my brother—”</p><p>Ino snorts at the prospect of Sakura <em> chatting up </em>this man while on duty, especially one so decidedly not her type. She’s not sure if she’s irritated at him trying to compare the two, or defensive.</p><p>“— and I’m about to go right back to that hospital and ask her out.”</p><p><em> Oh, </em> Ino thinks, <em> he’s so dumb. </em></p><p>The patron looks to the right and startles; Naruto is standing there, fists clenched and face red in his elegant shop apron, fingers still around the watering can. </p><p>“Can I help you?” the man asks.</p><p>Without any preamble, Naruto just says, “You’re an idiot.”</p><p>“This isn’t your business, I’m speaking to this lovely girl here—”</p><p>“Sakura-chan won’t date you, because she already loves someone. A better guy than you. And if you’re trying to make Ino like you, you’re even dumber than you look. What girl wants to hear you compare her to another girl?”</p><p>Ino stifles a snort, manages to pass it off as clearing her throat. A bit of pink shows up in the man’s cheeks, and he pulls himself up to full height in an attempt to intimidate.</p><p>“Look, I don’t know who you’re even talking about, all these names. I didn’t ask.”</p><p>“And I’m Naruto Uzumaki. So now you know.” </p><p>“Listen,” he says, beseeching Ino with his admittedly attractive face. Struggling not to laugh, Ino’s lips stretch thin. “I’m just—”</p><p>“Honestly,” she says, shaking her head a little, “you’re welcome to make whatever purchase you want, though you may be surprised at the outcome.” </p><p>Naruto folds his arms, seething and hovering in the way of a protective dog, as the man finishes his courting purchase and leaves. As the bell <em> tings </em> upon his departure, they both look at each other and find it difficult to hold in their laughter.</p><p>“What an idiot,” Naruto repeats. </p><p>“He’s poor on charm, that’s for sure.”</p><p>Naruto avoids her eyes, kicks at the floor with his toe again; it makes him look like a child caught by his mother doing something wrong. Swallowing hard, he says, “And what he said to you too was stupid. No girl wants to hear that.”</p><p>Flashing a grin, incandescent, Ino hopes the smile covers up her slight embarrassment. “Aww, are you concerned he hurt my feelings? That’s mature of you.”</p><p>“W-whatever.” Whirling around, she sees the back of his neck, bright red. “You know how nice you look.”</p><p>“O-<em>ho </em>, I look nice, yes, pretty too. Naruto, you will be a womanizer yet.”</p><p>He doesn’t answer, just pouts as he straightens his apron with dignity and goes back to his tasks.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>When a few days later, Sakura, Ino, Naruto, and Shikamaru all sit around a table in an alley-hidden izakaya and the medic laments about a pushy brother of a patient trying to take her on a date, Naruto and Ino start cracking up over the dregs of their drinks and the remains of snacks long-eaten.</p><p>When Shikamaru asks if Naruto returned the bicycle to its rightful owner and gives Ino a significant look, following up with an inquiry if he really knows how to ride it now, their earlier laughs give way to sputtering and blushing. It might be the drinks or the heat, but Shikamaru seems to be saying more than he’s saying, and it might be Ino’s imagination, but she visualizes smacking the small grin right off his face. </p><p>Sakura and Shikamaru exchange a grin, brainy and self-satisfied.</p><p>Ino reflects that perhaps, she could find another skill Naruto fails to excel in and teach him that too, if only to continue to blackmail him into doing the tedious watering and tasks in her shop. He enjoys it, after all. </p><p>And frankly, he’s not bad company. Not one bit. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hope everyone is staying happy and healthy! I know other rarepair fans are out there, don’t be shy, say hi!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>